UK-Buckinghamshire: School catering services.

Section I: Contracting Authority

I.1) Name, Addresses and Contact Point(s):
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7SX, United Kingdom
Tel. +44 1276673880, Email: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk
Main Address: https://www.ahs.bucks.sch.uk/
NUTS Code: UKJ1

I.2) Joint procurement:
The contract involves joint procurement: No
In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not Provided
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No

I.4)Type of the contracting authority:
Body governed by public law

I.5) Main activity:
Education

Section II: Object Of The Contract

II.1) Scope of the procurement

II.1.1) Title: Aylesbury High School ~ Catering Tender
Reference number: Not Provided

II.1.2) Main CPV code:
55524000 - School catering services.


II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES

II.1.4) Short description: The successful Supplier will be required to provide catering services for Aylesbury High School

II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value: 2,129,107.83

Currency:GBP

II.2) Description

II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s):
Not Provided

II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
UKJ1 - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

Main site or place of performance:
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire


II.2.4) Description of the procurement: Aylesbury High School is a historic institution dating back to 1598, with the current school opening in 1959. It is the only girls' grammar school in North Buckinghamshire. Renowned for its high educational standards and strong vision and values, the school is both popular and oversubscribed. It serves students aged 11 to 18 from Aylesbury and North Buckinghamshire and in 2023 was awarded “Outstanding” by Ofsted.
The school currently has approximately 1,358 students, with 931 in Years 7 to 11 and 427 in the Sixth Form. The staff comprises 101 teaching and 78 non-teaching members.
For further information, visit the school website at Aylesbury High School - Home
Basis of Contract
The school is seeking a catering contractor with extensive experience to provide catering services at Aylesbury High School. The contractor must be highly creative and innovative, capable of introducing new food concepts while remaining adaptable in their approach to menus to accommodate the diverse range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements.
It is essential that the chosen contractor has extensive knowledge and expertise in providing healthy food options that are fresh, seasonal, locally sourced, and prepared on-site. This includes being well-versed in nutritional standards and requirements and ensuring that the menus are designed to fuel pupils throughout the day.
The school also seeks a contractor whose focus is not only on food quality but also on service delivery and customer satisfaction. The contractor will be expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the current catering services and provide recommendations on enhancing the existing offerings. The primary aim is to deliver a superior catering experience that aligns with the school's vision and values.

The chosen contractor must propose innovative ways to make the contract more environmentally friendly and carbon-neutral, applying sustainability principles to both contract delivery and the contractor’s organization. The contractor's sustainability approach must align with the school’s values.
The contract being tendered runs from 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2028 for an initial three-year period, with an option to extend for a further two years at the discretion of the client. The contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful contractor offering the school a guaranteed return/cost for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff will remain with the school throughout the contract.
The contract covers the provision of all catering services within the school, which currently includes breakfast, mid-morning breaks, lunch, Sixth form café offer, hospitality, and free-issue requirements. Free school meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.
While value for money is a key objective of the competitive tender process, the school is not obliged to accept the lowest price. Contract value:
Sales performance per annum is circa £363,337
See SQ Document for more information.

II.2.5) Award criteria:
Not Provided

II.2.11) Information about options
Options: No


II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


II.2.14) Additional information: Please note, this is a Contract Award Notice - this contract has already been awarded.


Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

IV.1.1)Type of procedure: Restricted


IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No
A dynamic purchasing system was set up: No

IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction has been used: No

IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2) Administrative information

IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJEU: 2025/S 000-004791



IV.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice: No

Section V: Award of contract

Award Of Contract (No.1)

Contract No: Not Provided
Lot Number: Not Provided
Title: Not Provided

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes


V.2) Award of contract

V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract: 20/06/2025

V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 6
Number of tenders received from SMEs: Not Provided
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: Not Provided
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: Not Provided
Number of tenders received by electronic means: Not Provided

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

Contractor (No.1)
Pabulum Ltd, 03034174
550 Thames Valley Park, Reading, RG6 1PT, United Kingdom
NUTS Code: UKJ1
The contractor is an SME: No

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 1,816,685
Total value of the contract/lot: 2,129,107.83
Currency: GBP

V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be subcontracted: No

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.3) Additional information: To view this notice, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=962937236
VI.4) Procedures for review

VI.4.1) Review body
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7SX, United Kingdom
Email: tenders@litmuspartnership.co.uk

VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures: Not Provided

VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Not Provided

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice: 01/07/2025